Why the heavy lifting and lots of protein?

stefaniemazz

This is a legit question, and I am not trying to be annoying or anything before people on here attack me.

But a lot of people on here say that in order to get a "toned" body you MUST lift heavy and eat a lot of protein.

My sister eats very little protein, under 100 grams, if not under 80 grams, she's the same height as me and she about 108.

She has a VERY toned body, visible abs, she just has a great body (i'm real proud of her to be honest, she lost a lot of weight)

How is that she has a "toned" body and she doesn't lift heavy at all, she does the treadmill and does yoga about 4 days a week and eats barely any protein.

This is a serious question. I'm honestly curious.

_TastySnoBalls_

My sister eats very little protein, under 100 grams, if not under 80 grams, she's the same height as me and she about 108.

She has a VERY toned body, visible abs, she just has a great body (i'm real proud of her to be honest, she lost a lot of weight)

good genetics and a low body fat %


ETA: quote

firstsip

Yoga actually is a form of strength training.

A key thing about your sister: has she ever been a higher weight than she is now? *Edit to respond to your edit* Ah, so she lost weight. Still sounds like she's following the "recommendations" for not losing LBM. Higher protein relative to her. Some form of strength training.

The key is to keep protein up and do some form of strength training is when losing weight. While eating at a deficit, some amount of LBM is going to go with the fat. As a result, too much LBM gone with the fat can result in a body that isn't as "toned" as someone hoped for. With high protein and heavy lifting, less LBM is lost during weight loss. Add in a very small deficit, you're even better.

Also, 80~100g of protein is still a pretty decent amount, especially for an individual weighing 108 lbs. High protein is relative to LBM.

Holly_Roman_Empire

Because the results speak for themselves:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/977538-halp-heavy-lifting-made-me-supah-bulky?hl=heavy+lifting+made+me+supah+bulky

Your sister just has low body fat. And yoga is strength training when it is advanced, so to suggest that she doesn't "lift heavy" might be an oversight on your part.

cmeiron

She has very low body fat, that's all. 80-100g of protein is actually pretty good depending on how much lean body mass you have. The reason lifting and protein are recommended is because very often people get to a "goal" weight and find that they don't have the aesthetic look they were hoping for. What often happens is that people who drop weight too quickly or don't do resistance training lose a lot of muscle mass as they drop weight, so even when their weight is low they have a higher proportion of body fat than someone of the same weight who retained more muscle. Some people would call this a "skinny fat" look. Lifting and feeding your muscles with protein will help minimize the muscle loss and generally produces a "look" that more people are happy with. You can weigh more and still have defined muscles. Even if the "look" isn't an issue, it's always preferable to retain as much muscle as possible, both for metabolic benefits (you burn more calories at rest) and for health benefits (we lose muscle as we get older so it's better to start off with more).

ell_v131

Everyone's body is different, and since we are not in someone's skin all the time, we don't know what "exercise" they get outside of the gym. Yoga itself if practiced well will help with muscle retention.

The reason most of us here are fans of lifting and protein is:
1)lifting makes sure the muscles are used. The body will not "eat" tissue that it needs, so the muscles you are actively using are moreless protected from being used for energy. If she uses her muscles heavily in yoga, this could be the reason she retained them
2)high protein again to help with protecting muscle. If your body has enough dietary protein, not only it can more efficiently repair muscle after workouts, it also has protein available as immediate fuel. The amount of protein one needs is dependable on their lean mass. So if your sister weighs around 125lbs, 100g of protein would be appropriate and it's still more than the FDA recommendation (which is too low)

Simply said, if you are exercising your muscles and giving your body signals "you will need this muscle tomorrow", you have a better chance of not losing them and you'll be left with a toned body after you shed the fat.

shortone27

She probably also has a very low BF% at that weight, so she looks very toned even if she doesn't have the "bulk" that many get from lifting heavy. Also, different body types. Overall though, looks aside, lifting heavy is generally very good for you as it builds muscle and bone strength and is very beneficial in the long run if you keep it up. The high protein is just to help with the development of the muscle.

stefanieraya

@stefaniemazz - The amount of protein you consume is different for everyone. The amount is equal to the amount of lean body mass you carry. Your sister is doing yoga 4x a week that is great and I would consider that an active/athletic lifestyle. That said, to maintain her toned body she should be consuming about 1g of lean protein per 1kg of lean body mass. To calculate lean body mass you simply take your total body mass (for ex. 100 lbs.) and multiply that by your percentage of body fat. So if she is 10% body fat than she has 90 lbs of lean body mass. 1 pound is equal to 0.45 kg. so 90 lbs is equal to about 40 kg of lean body mass. That is about the amount of protein she should be consuming daily = 40 g. Does that make sense. If you are trying to lose weight than eating this ratio of protein to body mass is great.
Hope that helps!

Cranquistador

JSHD

AJ_G

Heavy lifting causes microtears in your muscles and once they heal themselves, then your muscles will become stronger and depending on your calorie intake will grow. The protein intake provides the amino acids your body needs for muscle synthesis. Heavy lifting without enough protein intake will not grow your muscles, and plenty of protein intake without heavy lifting will not grow your muscles. Some people naturally hold more muscle on their body due to genetics, and that coupled with a low body fat percentage is the reason your sister looks toned. At her weight, the maximum protein intake that her body can use for muscle synthesis is 88g per day, so any intake above that will just be used for energy, so she's probably getting enough protein already considering most of the population consumes 50g or less per day in protein.

CorlissaEats

Chances are at 5'3" your sister's Lean Body Mass is only around 80-100lbs so technically eating 80g of protein is a lot. The rule of thumb for lifting is 0.8-1gr per pound of lean body mass.

Since she probably has little fat covering the muscle it looks toned. Lifting is for building strength and muscle. We all have a "toned" look under our excess padding. Lfiting (for 90% of people) is going to yield better results showing it off than just straight cardio. Genetically speaking, some people just have more muscle. I know I do and I have never done an official lifitng program. She just happens to be able to maintain hers through yoga and whatever else she wants.

I am guessing with your athleticism that it wouldn't take a lifting program to show off our toned muscles again-- just losing the extra pounds. BUT you will have better results with strength training than cardio. Forget the MUST and take it as a suggestion.

SezxyStef

My sister same story(she is shorter) except she does lift heavy for her through resistence training.

She is about 125lb 5 ft 4 and has about 18-19% BF....
I am 5ft 7 162lb and appx 25% BF...but I can do chinups, squat my bodyweight, Bench Press 110lbs, and Deadlift 117% off my body weight.

She can't. That is why the heavy lifting for me and lost of protien.

thekyleo

This is a legit question, and I am not trying to be annoying or anything before people on here attack me.

But a lot of people on here say that in order to get a "toned" body you MUST lift heavy and eat a lot of protein.

My sister eats very little protein, under 100 grams, if not under 80 grams, she's the same height as me and she about 108.

She has a VERY toned body, visible abs, she just has a great body (i'm real proud of her to be honest, she lost a lot of weight)

How is that she has a "toned" body and she doesn't lift heavy at all, she does the treadmill and does yoga about 4 days a week and eats barely any protein.

This is a serious question. I'm honestly curious.

she make have a lean look, but not very much muscle

martyqueen52

This is a legit question, and I am not trying to be annoying or anything before people on here attack me.

But a lot of people on here say that in order to get a "toned" body you MUST lift heavy and eat a lot of protein.

My sister eats very little protein, under 100 grams, if not under 80 grams, she's the same height as me and she about 108.

She has a VERY toned body, visible abs, she just has a great body (i'm real proud of her to be honest, she lost a lot of weight)

How is that she has a "toned" body and she doesn't lift heavy at all, she does the treadmill and does yoga about 4 days a week and eats barely any protein.

This is a serious question. I'm honestly curious.

To build muscle you don't necessarily need to lift heavy, it helps... but not needed. Muscle is built off of muscle time under tension and deep contractions. Protein aids in recovery and helps further strengthen those muscle when they are repaired from trauma or tension / resistance.

I don't believe in the "genetics" excuse some people use. I come from a larger body size family (Italians) and all we do is eat but I'm the only one with abs. Your sister sounds like she just has a low bodyfat % from constantly being in a caloric deficit. REAL muscle ab examples are guys like Phil Heath, Jay Cutler, Arnold.... not because your so skinny your abs show.

MoreBean13

Sounds like your sister is eating around 1g protein/lb LBM and doing bodyweight strength training.

jwdieter

The resistance training and protein recommendations are generally to retain LBM while losing weight. Retain strength and figure while losing body fat.

stefaniemazz

Thanks for the answers guys.

da_bears10089

I like lifting heavy things, and i like meat.

MyChocolateDiet

Her yoga may be a form of strength training depending on how she's doing it.

Also you may be looking at her eat proteins that are considered "proteins" like chicken, peanut butter, steak and whatnot and not counting other forms of food that are combined proteins and carbs. Like multigrain breads etc. Also combined fats and proteins like cheeses. She may be getting more total protein once you add these up than is readily apparent to someone watching her food intake. Also proteins can be add ins at non protein places like jamba juice and etc.

it's really really hard to judge someone else's habits so just focus on yourself and see how your body responds to the good advice you have gleaned so far.

cwolfman13

Sounds like your sister is eating around 1g protein/lb LBM and doing bodyweight strength training.

This^^^

You don't necessarily have to lift "heavy" or weight train...a lot of people do nothing but body weight work and do just fine and can yield a very athletic look. I would personally consider yoga, particularly certain forms of yoga to be very good body weight strength work. For me, weight training is just a more efficient way of getting those results...I enjoy restorative yoga for recovery.

jonnythan

Sounds like your sister is eating around 1g protein/lb LBM and doing bodyweight strength training.

:laugh:

Yup. She eats enough protein and she does strength-based exercise. No mystery.